When Louise Freckelton and David Bray were inspecting their property in the snow-capped mountains of New South Wales after the devastating black summer forest fires, they were happy to find a unique and vulnerable bird species that had survived.
The small population of turquoise parrots had been maintained during the Dunns Road fire by populating small sections of unburned bushes.
Mr. Bray and Ms. Freckelton worked with Murrumbidgee Landcare to install innovative nest boxes on their Snowy Mountains property. (ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)
“It was very dry and there was little vegetation around, and I saw it and thought, ‘Thank God they’re still here,'” Mr Bray said.
However, the parrot depends on small, shallow holes in the ground for nesting, and many of them were destroyed in the fire.
The fires were one of the worst wildlife events in history, with a World Wildlife Fund study estimating that nearly 3 billion native animals were killed or displaced.
Now, Mrs. Freckelton and Mr. Bray are part of a project to help the parrot regain its population in the highlands of New South Wales and hope to inspire others to work to improve the environment.
Returning from the edge, again
This is not the first time the turquoise parrot has faced a major challenge.
The bird was thought to be abundant in the 19th century, seen in large numbers from central Victoria, all over Sydney and NSW, and as far south as Queensland.
Turquoise parrots nest in the hollows of trees, many of which were destroyed by the black summer forest fires. (Provided by: Chris R Bruce)
It was so abundant that a twentieth-century ornithologist met a man who had shot a series of small birds to cook them in cakes.
But with the introduction of early agriculture, the clearing of land and pests such as rabbits, foxes and cats, in the 1920s, the turquoise parrot was considered extinct.
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“At the time, ornithologists were looking for the species in much of its ancient habitat and found no birds,” said Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia’s Central NSW Forest Bird Coordinator.
Since the 1930s, the bird has recovered remarkably, though not to its former numbers.
“The turquoise parrot has slowly recovered and is still recovering slowly, though not in all parts of its former geographical distribution,” Gunn said.
“Only in small pockets of suitable habitat.”
Mr. Gunn has spent time observing turquoise parrots in southern NSW. (Provided by: Jayden Gunn)
But during the devastating forest fires of 2019-20, the species hit another hurdle, with fires burning its nesting gaps and food.
“It’s kind of an empty nest, and often those gaps are less than 3 feet off the ground, which would have been the first thing to burn in the fires,” Gunn said.
“Breeding the species in some areas will now be incredibly difficult or non-existent, and this could take decades to recover without human intervention.”
An innovative approach to forest fire recovery
After Mrs. Freckelton and Mr. Bray observed turquoise parrots on their property, they contacted Murrumbidgee Landcare, which coordinates forest fire recovery projects in the snow-capped mountains.
They used a grant to buy new innovative nest boxes, providing a temporary place for parrots to breed while their numbers and habitat could be recovered.
These nest boxes, created by Habitat Innovation Management, have been modified to fit the turquoise parrot. (ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo.)
“We identified, through mapping, that there are pockets of unburned areas right through the scar of the fire,” said Murrumbidgee Landcare coordinator David Waters.
“The animals would have sought refuge there during the fires, and then these populations will radiate from those unburned areas after the fires to repopulate the burned areas.
“This is important because it is the world we live in, this is our region, and the fires have been completely set off.
“And we want it to recover, and we want it to be better than it was before the fires.”
Mr. Waters and the Murrumbidgee Landcare group are working to make the Snowy Mountains stronger after the fires. (ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo.)
The boxes that are placed in the forest of unburned grassy rubber boxes on the property of Mrs. Freckelton and Mr. Bray are a new design and their creators describe them as a significant improvement over traditional wooden nest boxes.
“Traditional nest boxes have been made of wood for a long time, and the problem is that they don’t last long,” said Carl Tippler, director of Habitat Innovation Management.
“They get very hot and very cold, and they’re not specifically designed for the target species.”
Tippler hopes the new nest boxes can help thrive endangered native species. (ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo.)
The boxes are covered with polypropylene plastic, are modular and adaptable to different animals, and offer protection against extreme temperatures to their occupants.
“Turquoise parrots are a vulnerable species and have a very specific nesting requirement,” Tippler said.
“And these boxes are set up inside to have a very narrow nesting chamber that is designed specifically for the dimensions that turquoise parrots prefer.”
The owners of the land, Mrs. Freckelton and Mr. Bray, hope to be able to take advantage of their work with the turquoise parrot to improve their local environment and inspire others.
“We are in the midst of climate change and an extinction crisis,” Ms Freckelton said.
“And we have 333 acres to make the world a better place, to create places for endangered species and make sure they survive.”
Posted 13 hours 13 hours ago Friday, June 3, 2022 at 11:34 PM, updated 5 hours, 5 hours ago, Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 7:06 AM